How to help treat and prevent blemishes and acne on a daily basis; tips and facts
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Posted On :
Dec-22-2010
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Article Word Count :
1345
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There are many steps one can take on a daily basis that can help and prevent outbreaks of blemishes and acne. This article contains helpful hints and facts about the treatment of blemished, acneic, and oily skin.
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How to help treat and prevent blemishes and acne on a daily basis; tips and facts
I. What can you do every day to minimize acne?
1. Don't touch your face with your hands. Your hands may harbor millions of germs that can aggravate acne.
2. Don't rest your face in your hands. It may help clog pores and cause cells to get infected. People disregarding this advice often break out on their chin and lower cheeks.
3. Keep telephones clean. Wipe them off frequently.
4. Wash hands often, especially after touching doorknobs, elevator buttons, bathroom fixtures, etc.
5. Avoid products that are oil based or contain petrolatum or alcohol.
6. Avoid shampoos with known irritants, such as sulfates.
7. Add frequent showers and keep hair clean and away from face. Oily hair can contribute to breakouts.
8. Avoid tight headbands, caps or head gear.
9. Wash hats and caps frequently.
10. Wash towels and pillowcases as frequently as possible.
11. Don't try to squeeze pimples with your fingers. Usually, in the process of doing so, you break the skin and allow bacteria to infiltrate the injured area and cause inflammation and/or infection.
12. If possible, don't smoke. Smoking reduces circulation and causes damage to the skin from free radical attack.
13. Follow a balanced diet rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and proteins. Eat lots of vegetables, fruit, and fish.
14. Avoid stress. After stressful situations, try to relax or engage in physical exercises, such as yoga, that "calm you down".
15. Wash your face at least three times a day (morning, midday, evening) and after every strenuous physical exercise with a gentle cleansing agent that does not contain known irritants, such as Sodium Laureth/Laurel Sulfate, or suspected allergens. Do not use abrasive washcloths when cleansing your face. Simply rinse off the cleansing agent by splashing water on your face.
16. For mild and moderate cases of acne, follow a carefully designed skin care regimen. In cases of severe acne, a medical specialist should be consulted for treatment.
17. Take preventive measures before outbreaks occur. After cleansing with a gentle cleansing agent, follow with products containing glycolic acid and salicylic acid.
18. Avoid sun exposure after using products containing glycolic acid.
19. Avoid products containing Benzoyl Peroxide. This ingredient is both irritating and drying. One study even suggests a link to cancer.
20. For individual blemishes, use products containing at least 1.5% Salicylic Acid.
II. Treatment of severe breakouts
In case of severe breakouts, characterized by cystic acne, a dermatologist or medical skin care specialist should be consulted. Possible treatments include microdermabrasion, laser treatment, and systemic prescriptions, such as Minicycline. Before systemic treatment is undertaken, special precautions should be taken in case of pregnancies. Any regimen should consider application of proper skin care products in conjunction with chemical or systemic treatment.
III. Facts about acne
1. Dirt does not necessarily cause acne.
Dirt by itself does not cause acne; overproduction of sebum and clogged pores do. But by the same token, it would be erroneous for a person with acne to think that it is unnecessary to wash one's dirty face because it doesn't cause acne.
In fact, every time we touch our face with our hands, we might transmit millions of germs. Since acneic skin is often irritated and has open lesions, bacteria would definitely worsen acne.
Therefore, it is necessary to wash one's face several times a day (morning, afternoon, evening) and after physical exercise. The key is to cleanse the face with a mild cleansing agent that does not contain irritants, such as Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, or known allergens.
2. Foods, such as chocolate, sweets, French fries and other fast or fatty foods, do not necessarily cause acne
There seems to be no scientific proof that any specific type of food causes or worsens acne. However, scores of people insist that eating certain foods makes them break out. If your body sends you a message, heed it! It is also important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and proteins. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and fish rather than foods that have little nutritional value.
3. Although there is no cure for acne, you can help control it
While it is true that there is no cure for acne, it is certainly not true that nothing can be done about it. On the contrary, taking the right measures at the right time, can control acne and prevent major outbreaks. A carefully designed skin care regimen and strict adherence to all recommendations of a qualified skin care specialist are the key to better skin. In the case of cystic acne it is often necessary to add antibiotics, although that does not take the place of cleanliness.
4. Sex or masturbation do not cause acne
There is no evidence that sexual activities cause acne. However, an increased amount of testosterone, especially during puberty, is responsible for an increased sexual drive, and testosterone can cause acne, since it is linked to the production of sebum. When too much sebum is produced in the pores, there is a tendency for them to get clogged. The results are various forms of impurities, such as blackheads, whiteheads, or comedones. Bacteria may contribute to the creation of pimples.
In other words, even in the absence of sex, testosterone production, in boys and girls, is very high during puberty and can cause acne.
Whenever the skin is affected by blemishes or acne, it is important to follow strict, professionally designed skin care regimen.
5. Evidence suggests that there is some correlation between stress and acne
For a long time, scientists disputed that stress caused acne. Yet, anecdotal reports persisted that there was a clear correlation between them. In a recent study, published in the journal "Archives of Dermatology", researchers tested the severity of students' acneic conditions during examination periods and found that there were, indeed, increased levels of acne at these times. This lends credence to the theory that stress causes acne, and, we can add, other health problems as well.
Furthermore, stress can also cause other health problems, such as increased heart rate, and it would, therefore, be prudent to avoid it whenever possible.
A variety of activities suggest themselves for relief of stress, ranging from physical exercises, such as running or jogging, to breathing exercises, yoga, or simply relaxing in a comfortable chair listening to music.
6. Sun exposure does not improve acne
It is true that a tanned complexion might hide some blemishes. Sun exposure might also result in drying the skin and improve some blemishes. But the skin actually increases its oil production after sun exposure to compensate for the dehydration effects of the sun. Thus, while it may "dry up" some blemishes in the short run, it actually contributes to them.
The risk of sun damage far outweighs any possible advantages that might accrue from tanning in the sun. Sun exposure causes more skin damage than all other factors combined. Research shows that nearly 95% of all the skin damage is caused by sun exposure. Melanomas, basal cell and various other types of cancer are all linked to sun exposure. It is also a proven fact that excessive sun damage can cause premature aging and make the skin look old, wrinkled, and leathery. Hyperpigmentation, the result of excessive sun exposure, can permanently scar and impact the skin tone in areas of blemishes exposed to the sun, resulting in so-called "brown spots" or "dark spots".
If you do have to go into the sun, always use a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15. It should contain an ingredient that provides broad spectrum protection. An excellent choice is micronized zinc oxide, which offers the broadest protection against UVA, UVB, and UVC rays.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_How to help treat and prevent blemishes and acne on a daily basis; tips and facts_45648.aspx
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Author Resource :
www.dermystique.com
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Keywords :
treatment and prevention of blemishes and acne,
Category :
Health and Fitness
:
Beauty
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